We could be in Love
by Mystixa
Summary: Shika and Inoeveryone knew something was going on between them...everyone except themselves. Rated R just to be in the safe side. I might add another chapter. Just depends on the reviews I get. For now, this is a oneshot fic. Please don't flame me and r


**We could be in Love…**

_I don't own Naruto. I am a very poor college student so please don't sue me. Besides, I am not making any money off of this. Thank you and have fun reading this._

_P.S.- I don't own the song. "We could be in Love" was sung by Lea Salonga and Brad Kane. I am not making any money off the song either. So again, please don't sue me._

The lyrics of the song will be in Bold; Thoughts of the characters will be in Italics.

_This is set in the future. Everyone is around 15-16 yrs of age._

"I can't believe this!"

Temari grinned as she watched the shadow shinobi pace back and forth in a huff. "I have never seen you put as much energy into anything as you are doing right now in your rant. Why are you so mad? Just restructure your strategies to include her." She added wryly, "After all, aren't you a genius?"

Shikamaru sighed and stared out the window. The sand village was quiet, as if the sand itself absorbed the unnecessary noises of the village. Others might find it weird and creepy. To Shikamaru, the sand was like a big blanket covering the village, cushioning its people from noises and attacks so they can rest and sleep peacefully. He can see himself living in the Village of the Sand. Maybe its due to the surroundings, but the people here go about their everyday life slowly, as if in a waking dream. It doesn't mean though that the Sand Village shinobi and its people are lazy. It's as if they are reserving their strength for battles such that the village, even though it has fewer shinobis than Konoha, has strong ninjas that rise quickly in ranks-the average rate is 3 years for a sand shinobi to go from genin to jounin. For Konoha, it is a bigger range. The geniuses take about 2 years, others take about 5 to 7 years, and then there are those that take 10 to 15 years to go from genin to jounin. However, no matter how much Shikamaru seem to fit in the Sand Village, there are things in Konoha that he just can't leave behind. Some of the reasons are due to the surroundings: such as the sky looks bluer in Konoha and there are more types of clouds rolling across through the Hidden Village of the Leaf. And then, there are the other reasons…

"Even a genius has his limits," he quietly replied. "There are some things in life you can't predict, you can't plan out, you can't control. She, unfortunately, just happens to be the unpredictable X factor in my life. No matter how many moves ahead I map out in my head, if she is involved, things don't seem to go my way…"

Shikamaru was startled as Temari wrapped her arms around him from behind. She leaned her head against his back and stared out the window with him. Their sights were focused at a certain area, a certain spot where a blond kunoichi was training fiercely with a male shinobi. He felt her breath first, then he heard her whisper in a resigned tone.

"Things don't seem to go my way either…"

"Temari," Shikamaru sighed. He didn't turn around to face her, his eyes still trained on the intense match-up between his friend and her brother. "I don't like playing games with you. What are you saying?"

"Just goodbye," she smiled.

"Temari…"

"Shhh…don't say anything else otherwise I'll change my mind. Just let me hold you one last time." She closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder. Her arms gripped him a little tighter, a little fiercer, as if to abolish whatever little space exists between their bodies. But she can't close the gap between their hearts. Opening her eyes slightly to look at him, her suspicions were confirmed. He still was looking outside, frowning slightly, his focus and attention on…her. She sadly closed her eyes. _Whenever she is around, things never go my way with you…_

Ino rotated her shoulder, wincing slightly as she felt the muscles creak from overuse. She patted the sand next to her, beckoning Kankuro to sit down. She laid back and stared up into the night sky. The stars appear brighter here, standing out more against the deep inky night sky.

Kankuro rearranged the puppet on his back before sitting down next to her. He briefly glanced to his left and spotted a lone figure blending into the shadows. Based on the lazy pose, it was Shikamaru, his sister's boyfriend, or ex-boyfriend if Temari had already gotten it over with. He turned his attention back to the mindwalker ninja Ino. She was still looking at the stars and appeared not to have noticed the other shinobi.

"Ino?" Kankuro stood up and stretched his sore muscles. "Ino?"

She snapped out of her daze and turned around to face Kankuro. "Nani?" she smiled, her cheeks slightly flustered pink. "Gomen, sorry if I spaced out. The stars just look so amazing out here."

"For a moment there," Kankuro observed Ino's face, "you reminded me of Shikamaru." He noticed the reddening of her cheeks as she looked down. "He watches the clouds the way you just watched the stars a moment ago."

"I'm not like him!" she angrily retorted. "Don't compare me to that jerk!"

Kankuro quietly watched her, weighing his words carefully in his mind for Ino has a temper equivalent to Temari's own infamous temper._ You're in love with him and you don't even know it._ He readjusted the straps on his shoulder and turned around, waving his hands to Ino. "I have to go see Temari. She told me she was going to break up with Shikamaru today. I have to make sure she's okay for the mission tomorrow. Ja ne." He tried not to grin at the surprise look on Ino's face. "Take care and put some healing balm on that shoulder."

"Wait, Kankuro," Ino paused, then returned her attention back to the stars. "Never mind…"

**_Be still my heart_**

_**Lately its mind is on its own**_

"Maybe later you can tell me your real reason for coming here. I heard you volunteered for this mission and got one of the shinobis to trade places with you in order to be here. Of course, maybe you were just doing Chouji a favor." Kankuro started laughing. "Chouji must have been so happy considering a new restaurant is opening tomorrow and he gets to be the first in line to try out the food." He shrugged his shoulder and left, heading towards the headquarters where he figured his sister will still be at.

Ino sighed and sat up, drawing her knees close to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She put her chin on her knees and stared vacantly at the horizon. The night was so dark that she couldn't tell where the sky ended and the land began for they blended together in the distance. _Maybe Shikamaru is right. What am I doing here?_

She closed her eyes and was startled as an image of a pissed off Shikamaru popped into her mind. His mouth started moving but no words were coming out. That didn't matter for she knew what he was saying. _"Go back Ino. You are messing everything up. We don't need you here."_

"Shika…" she whispered, her words floating in the air, unheard by anyone save for the lone figure in the shadows.

**_It would go far and wide_**

_**Just to be near you**_

Shikamaru stepped out of the shadows and walked right up next to Ino. She looked up at him and was about to stand up and leave when he shook his head. He sat down next to her and did not say anything for a few minutes. Above them, a shooting star streaked down and disappeared past the horizon. Shikamaru made a silent wish before facing Ino. He gently touched her shoulder but she refused to turn around and look at him. _Mendokuse._ He frowned. Lying on his back, he folded his arms to cushion is head against the sand and just stared at the twinkling diamonds hanging on the cloak of the night.

Ino stole a quick glance at Shikamaru. His expression was contemplative, very safe and familiar to her. It was unnerving before to see Shikamaru without his thinking grouchy face on. Copying him, she lied back and cushioned her head with her arms, staring up into the sky and thinking about how she should still be mad at him for yelling at her, for scaring her,…for not being the lazy shinobi that she once thought she knew him to be.

_**Even the stars**_

_**Shine a bit bright I've noticed**_

_**When you're close to me**_

_**Still it remains a mystery**_

_I miss this_. Ino reflected back to when they were still part of the same genin team and days between training were filled with eating at barbeque restaurants, watching clouds on Shikamaru's favorite hill, and working at the flower shop. Ever since Shikamaru got promoted ahead of the rest of the Rookie 9…no…make it ever since Termari blew into their lives and took away Shikamaru from Chouji and her, those genin days were long gone…and so were the hours of cloud watching…

She turned around and stared at him, at the boy…no the man that has been there for her through most of life's little episodes. He was there for her long before Sakura became her best friend, stood by her when the pink-haired kunoichi left her for the mysterious avenger, and even led a team to retrieve him back to Konoha.

"Ino, stop staring."

"I'm just memorizing your face."

"Nani?" Shikamaru turned his head and scrutinized her. "Women are so troublesome."

"Well," she grinned mischievously, "then let's just say we're both sorry then. It will be less troublesome."

"No matter what I do, I always end up doing the most troublesome of things." Shikamaru turned back to watching the sky. He didn't want to face Ino anymore. It was too unsettling…she was too unpredictable…the X factor in his troublesome life. "You should start heading back to Konoha tomorrow. Gaara said he can spare us another shinobi to replace you."

"Shika, no. That's…"

"Ino," he interrupted. "I am not Sasuke."

Stunned by his words, her mouth fell open as he stood up and dusted off his pants. She was about to retort back when he held up his hand.

"I am not Sasuke. I am and will always be a shinobi of the leaf. I'm going to go back to Konoha after this mission is done."

"But…"

"I am not Sasuke, Ino. So don't worry. I won't be deserting my village anytime soon."

Both were unaware that they were being watched.

_**Anyone who's seen us**_

_**Know what's going on between us**_

"Is it because…" Ino paused and silently prayed her next words won't send Shikamaru into another fit of rage, "…she left you? Did you change your mind?"

"I never said anything to anyone about staying here and becoming a sand shinobi." Shikamaru stuffed his hands into his pockets and sighed. "Mendokuse."

Ino felt confused at first, but then her infamous temper surfaced. She jumped up and faced him angrily. "Troublesome? Everyone thought that was happening. Can you blame them? You've been with her ever since you were 12, ever since you became a genin and she…" Ino turned away, clenching her hands into fists, "…and she saved your life and brought you back to us." She wiped the tears pooling in her eyes before they could flow out and leave any evidence. She turned around and smiled sadly at him. "She brought you back to us and took you away at the same time."

"You volunteered to go in this mission, Shika." She poked her finger at his chest to emphasize her words. "You volunteered. I know what you did so don't try to deny it. That's why Chouji allowed me to switch places with him. He was worried about you."

He grabbed her wrist before she can jab her finger at him again. "Ino…" He stared at her long and hard, her vivid blue eyes clashing against his dark eyes as if challenging him to do something so troublesome…

**_It doesn't take a genius _**

**_To read between the lines_**

_You volunteered so you can be with her. You would risk your life for her._ Ino feel her eyes filling up with tears and she defiantly let them trickle down her cheeks to show him she was not afraid…to be vulnerable…to let him analyze her with his genius mind. Suddenly, she remembered Sakura's parting words to her two days ago.

_"Ino, don't lie to yourself. Why are you doing this? It's not because you are worried about Shikamaru."_

The why's of everyone repeated in her head. "_Why are you doing this? The mission only has a fifteen percent chance of success."_ Her response was the usual, the defense mechanism she made for herself since childhood, and that was of anger and avoidance to answer the question beneath the question. _"Are you doubting his ability to lead the team? He's a genius. He'll bring us back, no matter the chance of success."_

Realization dawned on her, an epiphany so swift and true that it burned her to the core. _I volunteered…so I can be with him, to risk my life for him, even if it's just for one last time…_

Shikamaru was still grasping her wrist, his dark eyes boring into her, as if he could read her thoughts…as if he entered her mind. His face was impassive, lacking as usual of expression. Her face, however, displayed every single emotion that she was feeling…even the ones she wasn't aware of.

**_Ooh, and it's not just wishful thinking_**

_**Or only me who's dreaming**_

_**I know what these are symptoms of…**_

"You're sensitive, Temari," Kankuro noted wryly as they continued to watch the two figures from a distance. "You're tough but underneath it all, you're a sensitive girl."

"Shut up," Temari hit her brother upside the head. "Don't tell anyone. Can't risk marring my reputation now."

Gaara added in seriously. "You're a good person too. I don't think I could do what you've done. I know you love him."

"I know." She wistfully smiled, her sight still focused on the man she loved and let go. "The problem is he didn't love me back the right way…the way he loves her…"

**_We could be in love…_**

It seemed an eternity before he let go of her wrist and stuffed his hands back into his pockets. He turned around and started heading back to headquarters, where a nice comfy bed was waiting for him. She walked quietly behind him, her steps even and quiet, the steps of a trained kunoichi.

It was a while before they entered into the building. He stopped in front of a door and it took Ino a moment to realize that he had escorted her back to her room. As he turned around to leave, she grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Ano…I know it's not my place to say anything…but I'm sorry about Temari." She shook her head. "I don't know what you did to upset her but you should get her flowers…or candy…or write her a poem. You're smart. Think of something." She slowly took back her hand and stared sadly at his back. "You don't want to lose her. You guys have something special. It may be troublesome but some things are just worth doing."

"I didn't do anything," Shikamaru confessed, his back still to Ino. "And…I agreed with her. It's for the best."

"How can it be for the best?" Her voice rose in pitch and volume. "Maybe that's the trouble. You didn't do anything. It's too troublesome. And for that, you are letting an incredible woman go. I know you are a shinobi of the leaf…but is that what is stopping you from being with someone that you love? Loyalty to our village?" She heaved an exasperated sigh and shook her head. "I hate to say it but you belong in the sand village…you fit right in, as if you are made for this place. And you belong with her."

"I am not Sasuke…"

"And you will never be him," she cut him off. "You will never be Sasuke. You are not leaving one village for another for the sake of revenge. It's not like that at all. Besides, the sand village is our ally. Sasuke left to live in an enemy's village. Sasuke left out of anger."

Ino paused and her next words rang out in the hallway. "You are not Sasuke. I have never mistaken you to be him. And I never will."

Shikamaru stiffened and with a gruff snort, he turned around to face her. "Do you hate him?"

Surprise by his question, she took a step back. "What?"

Shikamaru took a step closer to her and leaned down, leveling his face with hers. He was a head taller than her, his last growth spurt making him as tall as her dad. When she felt his eyes locking seriously on hers, her heart started beating faster, the sound loud in her ears.

"Do you hate him? Or do you still love him. Is he still Sasuke-kun to you?"

"What does that have to do with anything, Shika?"

His next words almost brought tears to her eyes. "I don't want you to hate me."

"Shika…"

Shikamaru straightened his back and stared hard at her, as if asserting his authority now as the leader of the team and of the mission. "You are going back to Konoha. We don't need you here." He shook his head as Ino was about to protest. Changing his tone, he confessed something to her, something that should have made everything right but instead flipped her world upside down.

"They're going after Sasuke." Shikamaru took out a scroll and gave it to her. "This is the mission-I drew it out. There are also ten contingency plans if something goes wrong. I decided who was going to be on the team. And I put you in it."

"Shika…" For once, Ino was speechless.

"You always complain about how I don't respect and trust you as a kunoichi." Shikamaru paused as Ino opened her mouth to refute his words, but then she just looked away. He quietly continued, "It's not that I don't think you can handle this mission out here…but they need you back home so that they can retrieve him. I thought that you would want to be on that mission. After all, isn't he Sasuke-kun to you?"

Ino watched as something flickered in Shikamaru's otherwise stoic expression. Was it sadness...regret…or something else… His eyes appeared to be begging her…to leave…to leave him behind…and trust him…

"What's the success rate?" Ino knew that Shikamaru think 100 moves ahead and would take into account every variable that could affect a mission.

"Fifty percent."

"Better success rate than this one, ne? Are you trying to protect me, Shika?" Ino teased him, trying to lighten up the mood. She was startled as she came face to face with his chest. He had leaned in and pulled her to him, hugging her tenderly and stroking her hair.

"Emphasis on trying," he confessed. "However, I can't protect you from everything."

When Ino looked up to smile at him, Shikamaru realized that his mind, no matter how high his IQ, cannot provide a shield against it. He knows how to act whenever Ino gets mad. But whenever she's happy and truly smiling at him, he is at a lost on what to do. He reluctantly lets her go as she pulled away to open the door to her room. He was about to leave when her voice stopped him.

"If you plan on me leaving tomorrow, you better stay in my room tonight." Her cheeks flushed pink when he stared in disbelief at her. "Not like that. I mean, when we were genins and our mission would take us to another village, Asuma-sensei would book just one room for us and Chouji and you and me sleep on the same bed…and…its just been so long since we've been on a mission together." She almost faltered as she realized she was babbling. "Ano…I mean…its tradition, I guess…"

"Ino, we were only 12."

"I trust you…besides, if you do this for me…I'll go back willingly to Konoha."

Shikamaru's eyes widened as he regarded Ino. She was acting very Un-Ino-like and actually looked like Hinata with her stammering and her red cheeks. _It'll be less troublesome to stay in her room tonight and get her to leave tomorrow. But in the long run…_ One hundred moves ahead was clearly not enough to deal with Ino's unpredictability factor. _Mendokuse. One moment, she's mad and calling me a jerk. Then now, she's inviting me to her bed…Kuso, not like that_. He cursed at his body as he felt a reaction in the lower region of his anatomy.

"Fine," he gruffly agreed. "But promise to leave tomorrow back to Konoha."

She grinned cheekily at him and nodded her head. "I promise."

Three hours later:

Shikamaru sighed as he felt Ino's arms wrapped around him again…for the tenth time that night. Wherever he moves, her body follows and he ends up being enveloped in a hug by a sleeping Ino. Judging by her breathing, she was still asleep. Otherwise, it would mean she was deliberately teasing and torturing him. He let out another sigh and decided to just give up. It would be less troublesome. He just has to make sure to wake up first to avoid the awkwardness and the shouting from Ino. He shifted slightly as sleeping Ino leaned in closer and snuggled her head on the crook of his shoulder. _Mendokuse._ Resigned to the troublesome things that pop up in his life, he closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

_**I ask myself why**_

_**I sleep like a baby through the night**_

_**Maybe it helps to know**_

_**You'll be there tomorrow**_

Unfortunately for Shikamaru, Ino was Ino. When the sun lightly peaked through the window, Ino's eyes fluttered open. She was startled to discover that she was sleeping very close to Shikamaru. Her head was on his bare chest and her arm was slung around his shoulder. She blushed prettily as she realized that Shikamaru's hand was on her lower back, holding her close to him. She started to get up and pull away but then he frowned in his sleep and his hold on her back tightened, as if resisting her motions to leave.

_**Don't open my eyes**_

_**I'll wake from the spell I'm under**_

_**Makes me wonder how…**_

She lifted her hand to put one stray lock of hair back into place when Shikamaru groggily opened his eyes. Her eyes locked onto his, a thousand emotions running through both of them.

**_Oh tell me how _**

**_I could live without you now_**

"Hey Shika…you remember the time…"

"Hmm…"

"And that other time…"

Their softly spoken whispers filled the room up as they reminisced about childhood days long gone and the hazy dreams of the past, both unwilling to face the present awkward situation and the uncertain future to come…

_**And what about the laughter**_

_**The happy ever after**_

_**Like voices of sweet angels**_

_**Calling out our names**_

It was Shikamaru who broke it off first, as he glanced out the window. He quietly got out of the bed and went to the bathroom to rinse his face. Ino stared at his back for a moment before resigning herself to packing up her belongings. She had given her word that she was leaving today.

Five days later:

"You truly are a genius," remarked Gaara as he poured over the report. "A mission with only a fifteen percent success rate and you pulled it off with no casualties on your side. Remarkable. It's sad that you are not a sand shinobi."

Shikamaru nodded his head, the expression on his face one of boredom. "If you won't be needing anything else, I'm going to go."

Gaara closed the report folder and scrutinized the shadow shinobi carefully. Shikamaru has the appearance of a regular, or actually less than stellar shinobi-but Gaara knew his friend to possess an incredible gifted mind. But sometimes, geniuses can be wrong.

"Temari told me something interesting," the Kazekage of the Sand village kept direct eye contact with Shikamaru. "Apparently, Ino talked…um, actually, begged my sister to forgive you and take you back." Gaara almost burst out laughing as one of Shikamaru's eye started twitching. "When Temari said no…Ino challenged her to a fight."

"Mendokuse," Shikamaru swore under his breath. The X-factor strikes again.

This time, Gaara couldn't keep the grin off his face. "Ino wouldn't take no for an answer so Temari will be accompanying you back to Konoha to have her bout with Ino. The stakes are…shall we say…rather interesting."

"I suppose there's no way of talking Temari out of this fight?"

"Nobody can ever talk Temari out of a fight," Gaara wryly noted. "You of all people should know that."

"Mendokuse."

"And Kankuro and I will be accompanying her to Konoha. I would like to talk to your Hokage and talk to Naruto." Gaara's face turned soft and contemplative as he reminisced about his past before Naruto. "It has been too long since I last talked to him. I still need to thank him for saving me."

"And what are the stakes?" Shikamaru rubbed his forehead as he felt a headache coming on.

_**And it's not just wishful thinking**_

_**Or only me who's dreaming**_

_**I know what these are symptoms of**_

Gaara, this time, couldn't help it and let a chuckle escape from his lips. "The loser gets to…"

"To what?" Shikamaru's other eye started twitching and a scowl appeared on his face.

"The loser of the match gets to take you out on a date-well more like the winner will force you to date the loser of the match." The Kazekage of the Sand village started laughing really hard at the expression on the shadow shinobi's face.

Shikamaru's mouth dropped open and his eyes widened in disbelief. After a few sputters, he scowled at Gaara as the sand gourd ninja was quietly chuckling and wiping his eyes away with tears of mirth. "Great," the shadow shinobi drawled out, "both girls are fighting to dump me on the other's lap." He couldn't help but grin as Gaara started laughing again. _Mendokuse. Girls are so troublesome…_

**_We could be in love_**

It took two days to reach Konoha. At that time, both Gaara and Kankuro were teasing Shikamaru senseless. Temari softly smiled as she watched her youngest brother loosen up and joke around with the leaf shinobi. _I have to thank Naruto too for saving you, little brother._

"Nara!" A gate guard called out as they approached the big gates of Konoha.

"Nani?" Shikamaru looked up bewildered. All the guards were announcing his name, passing it down the line. _What's going on?_

"Shikamaru!" Sakura, the prodigy of Tsunade-sama, came rushing up to them. "You have to come quickly. It's Ino."

Shikamaru's heart started racing and he felt dread creep its hands around his neck. "What happened?"

"Sasuke came back the day before we were going to leave on our mission," Sakura explained, her hands wringing with worry. "He killed Orochimaru and brought back his head. He had numerous wounds on his body and he appeared to be on the verge of a mental breakdown." She paused and inhaled deeply. "His hands were glowing with chakra and we needed to subdue him in order to get him to the Medic Center. Ino…" she broke off and started sobbing, "Ino used her mind jutsu to take over his body. But he repelled her back into her body and automatically attacked her."

Sakura bowed her head to Shikamaru. "It wasn't anybody's fault but my own. I didn't realize his Sharingan was still activated. His sharingan automatically copied her jutsu and perceived her as a threat and his body reacted to her mental attack. He realized too late what happened and broke down crying. We were able to get both him and her to the Medic Center."

"What room is she in?"

"Shika…that's not the problem," Sakura sighed. "She escaped out of her room a few minutes ago and said something about a fight. She stole one of Chouji's Houren Pill. Her wounds are still not completely healed. If she takes the pill…"

"Sakura," a quiet voice interrupted her. "I'm fine."

"Ino?" Sakura's eyes teared up and she rushed over and gave her friend a hug. "Where were you? You didn't take the pill yet, did you?"

Ino ignored her and stared straight at the Sand kunoichi. "Our bet is still on. You owe me a match."

Temari cocked her head to the side and had a thoughtful expression on her face. A brief glance at Shikamaru cemented her decision. He was vehemently pleading with his eyes for her not to take on Ino. Which means…

"Lead the way." She grinned at the scowl that appeared on Shikamaru's face. She could hear him curse at her under his breath.

_Mendokuse. Mendokuse. Mendokuse…_

A week later:

"Shika, I'm sorry."

"Hmm," Shikamaru paused as Ino's whispered confession floated to him. They were at a nice restaurant and there was a soft classical melody playing in the background. Temari was going to pay for this "date" but Shikamaru had put his foot down. He wanted to be the one to pay for this date with Ino, even if Temari was the one who made it happen. He remembered all too vividly the fight between the mindwalker kunoichi and the wind kunoichi.

_Ino, although having just escaped from the Medic Center, was determined to win. She put up a hell of a fight and dodged most of the attacks thrown by Temari. Of course, Temari, being Temari, was toying with her at first. But then, the attacks started increasing in speed as the sand ninja got down to business. Ino was about to take the Houren pill when the handle of a kunai hit her wrist, and that's when her chakra ran out and she fainted on the ground. When she came to, she was lying on a white bed in the Medic Center with Shikamaru standing by the doorway and Temari grinning at her and telling her when and where the date with Shikamaru will happen. The last words of the sand kunoichi to her was to "Take care of his lazy ass."_

"What are you sorry for?"

She pushed her food with her chopsticks dejectedly. "I'm sorry I couldn't get Temari to change her mind."

"Ino…"

Ino felt the sweetest of a caress on her face and she looked up startled into Shikamaru's dark brown eyes. He had reached out with one hand and touched her face. His fingers were lightly tracing her cheek. She felt the blush rising to stain the skin under his fingers a slight pink.

"Ino…you're beautiful."

She was sure that her face was now tomato red. She couldn't believe that it was Shikamaru that was causing her to be so flustered. Not even Sasuke had this kind of effect on her.

He nodded his head as if to emphasize his words. His eyes softened and he smiled at her. "Do you remember what my dream was-how I wanted my future to be-when we were still genins?"

She mutely nodded her head and licked her parched lips. "You said you wanted an average life, with an average wife, and have two kids…"

His fingers paused in mid caress and he frowned.

_**All my life **_

_**I have dreamed of this**_

_**But I could not see your face**_

"What's wrong, Shika?"

"An average life, with an average wife…"

"Shika, you're not average," Ino gently admonished her friend. "Is that why you're frowning? Is it so bad being a genius?"

"I can't achieve my dream as a genius, Ino," he pointed out sadly. "I can't have an average life. And I know I don't attract the average woman. I can't have an average wife."

Ino smiled at him, and once again, Shikamaru found himself defenseless under that smile. Her bright blue eyes, the hue of a summer sky on a lazy August month, shined with hope and determination and something else in the candlelit atmosphere of the restaurant.

"Maybe you should change your dream…since you have a genius mind, I'm pretty sure you'll go far as a shinobi. You'll have an excellent life as a ninja and thus an average woman cannot handle that. That's why you need a lethal kunoichi to shape your ass. Someone like Temari."

"Ino…" Shikamaru sighed. His brown eyes searched hers and captured something hidden beneath the surface of the sparkle-a sadness-a happy kind of sadness…

_**Don't ask why **_

_**Two such distant stars**_

_**Could fall right into place**_

Shikamaru whispered "Mendokuse" before standing up. He held out his hand to a confused Ino and nodded his head in the direction of the dance floor. She wordlessly placed her hands, the soft yet strong hands of a kunoichi, on his and followed him. As he turned around to hold her waist, she leaned into his touch and rested her head on his shoulder. Her arms automatically wrapped themselves around his neck.

They made quite a sight on the dance floor. They were polar opposites, just like how Shikamaru and Temari were. But the difference was that they fit so perfectly together. Her light milky skin contrasted against his tan dark body. Blonde hair to black. Blue eyes to dark brown. Morning to night-together making up a full day.

_**Anyone who's seen us**_

_**Know what's going on between us**_

_**It doesn't take a genius**_

_**To read between the lines**_

"Temari was right," Shikamaru confessed. His hands lightly stroke her back through her purple satin dress. "She was right all along."

"About what?" Ino closed her eyes as the steady rhythm of his beating heart lulled her to a peacefulness in the storm of her emotions. _This is just Shikamaru. Why am I feeling this way? He always makes me feel safe._

_**Ooh, and it's not just wishful thinking**_

_**Or only me who's dreaming**_

_**I know what these are symptoms of…**_

"I just don't understand something." He leaned down and put his head next to her ear, as if whispering a great secret that the world cannot know about. "My life is not average…and everything is so troublesome, especially with you. But somehow, it feels…right. And suddenly, I'm content with my not so average life."

_**We could be in love…**_

"Shika…"

He shook his head and captured her lips with his own. All thoughts, all conflicting sounds and emotions laid quiet for once, and their world, turned upside down long ago, righted itself back to the proper axis. Everything faded away and yet Ino felt more connected to everything in this one fleeting moment-a moment of happiness…

**_It doesn't take a genius _**

**_To know what these are symptoms of_**

He broke off their kiss and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'm not Sasuke," he reminded her once again. "I will never be Sasuke."

And another epiphany struck Ino, much harder than before that tears started cascading out of her baby blue eyes down her flustered cheeks. _Gomen, I didn't realize…I didn't realize what you were saying._

"Shika…" And this time, it was fearless Yamanaka Ino who took control, who pulled Shikamaru's head down for another kiss, a bittersweet kiss of goodbyes and hellos. She ran her hands through his hair and deepened the kiss, pouring all her sorrows and hopes to him, hoping that this time, he will understand what she's saying. She sweetly smiled as she hesitatingly broke off the kiss and stared hard into his dark eyes.

"You are wrong, Shika. I can't believe you didn't know."

"…"

"You are not a replacement for Sasuke." She leaned in and this time was the one doing the whispering into his ear, her voice soft yet unwavering-the truth laced within each syllable of the words coming forth from her mouth.

"Sasuke was a replacement for you…"

And then, he remembered a time in childhood, when they were still in the ninja academy. There was a time before Ino became a Sasuke-fan. A time when little Ino asked Shikamaru if she was average.

_"Shika, you can't have an average life cuz you're super super smart. I know you're really smart so don't hide it. You're smarter than daddy and that's a whole lot smarter. You're smarter than Iruka-sensei. Ne, what about me, Shika? Am I average?"_

_"If you like Sasuke, then you're just like all the other girls. Then you're average."_

"I kept on pushing you to Temari because she was a lot better than me." Ino confessed sadly. "She saved your life and all I do is get you into danger and trouble."

"Ino, Mendokuse…"

"What?" Ino's eyes blazed red with anger.

"Ino, shut up."

And before the great mindwalker kunoichi, Yamanaka Ino, could reply, the shadow shinobi genius, Nara Shikamaru, effectively silenced her with the only method his 200+ IQ mind knew of. He kissed her.

**_We could be_**

_**Ooh, We could be…**_

"Shika!" she wailed once he broke it off. "Don't think…"

"Right, don't think," he huskily replied before leaning in to kiss her once again.

**_We could be in love_**

A new dream was born in Shikamaru's mind. A dream that where Yamanaka Ino fit nicely in. A dream of a troublesome not-so-average life and a troublesome not-so-average wife. Not-so-average of course translates to better-than-average…

**_Could be in… _**

**_We could be in Love_**


End file.
